Blood Moon
by LunarWaltz
Summary: (A.K.A Exhale) A power like her's doesn't occur very often. A person like her isn't found very often. Gone too soon and arrived too early, Karin Kurosaki takes on the afterlife like no other. From Academy student to full-blown Shinigami, Karin remains a force to be reckoned with and in the end, she may be the only one to drive back an evil that seems to be greater than Aizen.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** I have always wanted to write a fanfic with Karin as a Shinigami. The idea appeals to me so much! This takes place after the series, so things are very different! And Karin has never met Toshiro, so they don't have any prior knowledge of each other.

I wanted to develop Karin as a character away from the influences of her family. Ichigo and Isshin won't be there to monitor her and keep her safe, Yuzu won't be there for her to talk with, and Toshiro won't have any affect on her training as a Shinigami. Just because her interaction with them is limited at first doesn't mean that they aren't there. All of them are an important part of the plot, just not in the beginning. I have huge plans for Karin and I didn't want her to be modeled after any them, I wanted her to have her own leadership style and I wanted her to be shaped by the events and environment of Rukongai, like most spirits.

Don't be afraid to drop a review once you're finished with the chapter! I love reading them! Enjoy!

* * *

Soccer was her life. It was her _everything_. Karin fought everyone her first year of high school to earn her spot on the soccer team. The girls in Karakura Town weren't interested in playing soccer, so Karin forced her way onto the guys team. Now in her fourth, and final, year of high school, Karin is captain of the _boys_ soccer team.

Karin headed to the locker room to change into her soccer uniform when thunder clapped in the distance. She heard the quiet _pitter-patter_ of the rain on the roof. The team had practiced in worse, so she wasn't really concerned. But, she was concerned about her knee. At her last soccer match, _a pre-season, exhibition match,_ some kid had tackled her and as she crashed into the ground, her left knee twisted on impact. It swelled and bruised, so she was given a brace and orders of no soccer for at least a week. That had been a month ago. The pain had dwindled to a constant ache that was too little to notice unless she focused on it, but practice always made it worse.

Out on the field, Souta Fujita, the vice-captain, had the team doing warm-up drills. Karin jogged over and took her place beside Souta and started her warm-up. Practice went smooth. They had gotten through the dribbling exercises and endurance training and most of eye-foot coordination before the weather got too bad to continue. The first lightning strike had sent the younger kids running for their bags along the side of the field and the sudden wind and pelting rain had sent everyone running towards the locker rooms.

The minute Karin was out of sight from her teammates she began to limp. In the locker room she sat down on one of the benches and her hands went to rub her aching knee, but her touch only made her reel back. The violent motion skewed her balance and she fell off the bench. Karin tried to stand up but her knee didn't accept the pressure to well and the pain made her nauseous. She wasn't going to lie to herself and tell her that things would pass in a moment because she was an athlete and athletes know pain. _She needed help_. Her phone was out of reach and her thoughts and vision were slowly warping and the urge to vomit only grew stronger.

Karin lay still as a rock on the floor with one leg pulled close to her chest and hands clutched at her head. A pounding was growing in her head which only made her dizziness worse. She squeezed her eyes shut, scared at how fast things were developing. Thunder exploded across the sky, but she could barely hear it. She was cold and sleepy, but she had to release the team from practice (it was a Karakura High School tradition for team captains to release the teams, not the coach).

With her fists clenched to steady the shaking, Karin grit her teeth and rose to her feet. Her knee throbbed with each step she took and she had to brace herself against the lockers. Her phone dinged and the screen lit up. It took her a minute to reach her phone. She unlocked it and read the message (with much difficulty).

 _Souta: Captain, the guys are getting antsy. Where are you?_

Karin didn't bother replying because she couldn't see the keyboard well enough. She tossed her phone into her bag and began to slip into her school uniform. For once in her life, she was glad that the school uniform was just a skirt and not pants. She couldn't imagine trying to put her legs into pants, at least not with the pain. It was a lot easier to slip into the white button up and sweater vest (she thanked God for the sweater vest, so she didn't have to struggle with the buttons).

The minute Karin saw the blurry outline of the team, she forced her body to accept the pain and shifted to her normal walk. "Sorry, guys! I had an issue with my locker and I couldn't get the damn thing open! Good work today! Go home!" Her words were short and choppy. She wanted to get home and go to sleep. She mustered the strength to wrap her hand around her best friend, Jurou Oshiro. Jurou was a year younger than her, but they had been best friends since her first year of middle school. "Jurou, I need your help," she said when the rest of team left.

Jurou looked down at Karin. He was shocked to hear how weak her voice came out, but he became concerned when he found her face contorted. "Karin-chan, what's wrong?"

"Just help me home," Karin said. Things weren't getting better, they were getting worse.

Jurou kept a grip on Karin as he tied his uniform blazer around her waist. Karin faltered a bit when Jurou crouched down, but he laced her arms around his neck and hoisted on his back which saved her from falling. She let out a small yelp when he grabbed onto her knees. She didn't have it in her to speak anymore, so she just laid her head on the younger boy's shoulder and shut her eyes.

The rain had only gotten harder and the sky was fully gray. Karin could barely feel the rain as it pelted against her back, but she could feel every jostle from Jurou's running. Thankfully, her house wasn't that far from the school, only a fifteen minute walk. Jurou eventually came to a stop at the gates. "Karin-chan, you're home," he said gently in case she was sleeping.

"Thanks, Jurou. I can get inside by myself." Karin whispered as she slid off his back. When her feet hit the ground, a shock of pain shot through her leg, but she suppressed any reactions. Jurou didn't need to worry about this. It took everything she had to not limp.

Jurou said nothing until she had her hand on the door knob. "What happened?"

Karin didn't turn around. "I twisted my knee during practice," she said as she slipped inside, but Jurou didn't believe her.

0oo0oo0

That day passed uneventfully after Karin made it home, but the following months, not so much. Christmas Break was arriving and the soccer team had stopped meeting in early November. When practice stopped, the pain in Karin's knee lifted ever-so-slightly, but she found other problems arising. Her lack of an appetite and weight loss was becoming apparent. Yuzu was always reprimanding her older twin sister on her health habits, so Karin just played it off as stress from studying for mid-terms. The blond twin reluctantly accepted her sister's answer, but she still packed a little extra for Karin's lunch (not that the girl ate it, she stopped eating her lunches in October).

Misato Ochi, the teacher of all three Kurosaki siblings at one point or another, stared at Karin as the student walked into the room. The black-haired teen looked at her sister with tired eyes. Ochi continued to stare at her, baffled at her observations. The young, vibrant, somewhat aggressive, Karin Kurosaki was pale, but not the lack-of-sun pale, a sickly pale. Her face was sunken in and her hair was dull, but what really worried the teacher was the thin layer of sweat present on Karin's face.

"Karin Kurosaki, will you see me for a moment?" Ochi called out.

Karin slowly nodded as she basically hobbled to her teacher's desk. The previous night had been exceptionally awful for her. She spent the whole night stuck in one position because the pain in her knee and back (another stupid thing that developed within the last month) resonated throughout her whole body which meant she couldn't get any blankets to quell her chills or grab a glass of water to quench her thirst. "Yes, Ochi-sensei?"

"How are you feeling? You look a little ill," Ochi began gently. If the girl in front of her was anything like her brother, there was no point in demanding an answer.

Karin sucked in a weak breath. Talking was rough when the motor functions were impaired. "I'm a little tired, I guess."

"You seem to be a little more than tired, Karin," Ochi watched in concern as her student's eyes drifted shut. "This won't do, I'm calling your father."

Karin's eyes snapped open. "Sensei, I told you, I'm fine," her words came out slurred. "I'm just stressed because of mid-terms."

Ochi didn't believe a word the teenager said and proceeded to reach for the phone. As the phone was ringing, Ochi spoke to Karin. "Your father is a doctor, he'll know what to do."

Karin was about to protest, but Ochi had already started talking to Isshin. She wanted to reach out and hang up the phone, but she had been dealing with arm numbness which prevented her from actually moving them. She hated that her body was falling apart, but she hated that she never went to the doctor even more.

Ochi sent Karin to go rest in the nurse's office and allowed Yuzu to go with her. The twins walked in silence. It wasn't until Karin was settled on the hard cot that Yuzu spoke. "What's happening to you, Karin-chan?"

The younger girl moved a chair next to the cot and patiently waited for an answer. Karin held back her response, but she eventually gave in. "I... I think I'm sick. Like really sick, Yuzu."

"What do you mean? You never get sick!"

Karin took a few labored breaths before answering again. "Dad will take me to the doctor. Don't make me speak, it's hard." She vaguely made out the sound of Yuzu's sobs because her pain flared up and her hearing became muddled and her vision blurred. She shut her eyes and they didn't open until she felt herself being carried (more like her nausea kicked in at the sudden movement). She recognized the beard and black hair as her father. Despite her attitude towards the man, he was still her father and he brought her great comfort.

The trip to the hospital was quick and Karin found herself staring at her dad and sister after she had finished her consultation with the doctor. The small family was waiting for a nurse to come and lead Karin away for some testing.

Isshin was the first to talk and he was uncharacteristically serious. "Karin-chan, why didn't you say something? If you didn't want to tell me, why didn't you go to the doctor yourself?"

Karin's breathing had been getting more strained and she struggled to talk. "I was scared," she said after a moment. "I thought it'd go away after awhile, but it didn't. It only got worse, but I kept telling myself it'd go away because I don't get sick."

Their conversation was stopped when the nurse came. The tests ran for a few hours and the doctor admitted Karin to the hospital. Her vitals weren't stable enough to send home. They were never stable enough.

The results of Karin's tests came back: Stage IV Bone Cancer that metastasized to the spine. The metastasis led to spinal cord compression which explained the arm numbness. She also suffered from a broken fibula and a fractured patella. Her chances at survival was less than 7 percent. The cancer affected her whole body and no amount of chemotherapy would eliminate it. The doctor gave her four months to live.

0oo0oo0

 _Month 1_

The breaks in Karin's leg never healed. She hadn't left the hospital since her results came out. Jurou, Yuzu and Isshin visited her everyday and sometimes Jurou brought along the soccer team. She wouldn't lie, when they came she didn't even feel that sick. They were like her second family and she loved them dearly. Karin never told them that she was going to die (only her family and Jurou knew that) and she promised them that she would be able to make it (even if she couldn't play) to their first match of the year. Their first match was in April. It was December when she was told that she was dying.

News reached Ichigo a week after the results. Even though he already had plans to visit for Christmas, Ichigo had stayed until the end of his break, but he left with the promise of being back soon. He was going to take a break from college. Karin hated that he was going to do that, but she admitted that it'd be nice if she could spend her final moments with her brother.

Karin told Jurou to stop bringing the soccer team. Jurou stopped visiting everyday.

It was January now. Karin was given a room with a great view of the city and most days she watched gray winter sky drop snow. On the last day of December the doctor informed her that she was a quadriplegic (not like it made any difference to her, her broken leg had already rendered her immobile), but thankfully her abdominal organs had been unaffected.

New Year's passed and the doctor asked Karin if she changed her mind about chemotherapy and pain medications. She told him that it was pointless to extend her misery and she didn't want her days to be muddy, she wanted to remember them. Karin was often in excruciating pain and she was always nauseous and dizzy.

The doctor blocked any visitors that weren't family. Karin agreed.

 _Month 2_

Things were getting harder for Karin. At the end of January, she overheard the doctor and her dad talking. The doctor didn't think she would make it to four months and honestly, neither did she. From that point on, her entire family hadn't left the hospital room. Ichigo was able to put his college education on hold and he moved back home.

The days of February went by painstakingly slow. Karin's pain intensified everyday and every breath she took ached her lungs. She stopped sleeping on the start of the second week. The lack of rest took a toll on her already weak body. The doctor had told her told her to prepare for the worst, but at that point, Karin welcomed death.

Yuzu stopped going to school at the end of the week and Isshin closed his clinic. Ichigo had set up a makeshift bed on the couch and he only left the room to eat or when he was kicked out. Isshin occasionally brought a change of clothes for his son and often took Ichigo's place so the young man could sleep in a bed. On the days that Isshin stayed with his daughter, when he thought she was asleep (Karin pretended because it lessened the worry on her family and it made the time go by slightly faster), he would speak to his late wife and shed tears. It broke her heart to hear her dad cry as much as he did, especially because of her. Karin wasn't great at expressing affection for people she loved, but those she did love, she love with the entirety of her heart. There was no one she loved more than she loved her family.

The third week of February came and Karin was sure she was dying. It was Valentine's Day and she was surrounded by Ichigo, Yuzu, and Isshin. She didn't want them there, but she didn't want to be alone. She could feel the life slipping away from her. Her eyelids felt like lead and she could no long talk. Her breaths were becoming deeper and louder.

Karin couldn't feel her siblings holding each of her hands, but she could make out their shapes. No one said anything, but she could faintly hear all three of them crying. It was getting increasingly harder to keep her eyes open and they stayed shut for longer. Isshin placed a hand on her head and pushed her hair back. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered to her. "We'll meet again, Karin-chan, I promise. "

The last thing Karin felt was the tears of her father on her face. Karin Kurosaki died that moment.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Okay, so this chapter has been one journey. I have rewritten this multiple times and I just can't be happy with it. I wrote at least 7 different versions and this is the one I'm most pleased with. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I do! Another thing, Ichigo no longer has his powers. In this fanfic, after Aizen is sealed away, Ichigo returns to the living world. Things start to deviate at this point.

* * *

Waking up in the afterlife hadn't been as big of a shock as Karin had expected. The transition from a physical body to a soul wasn't particularly intense (the biggest difference being that she now had a mobile body). Everything felt the same, everything worked the same, but, at the same time, nothing was the same. Her dad was gone, Ichigo was gone, and Yuzu, _her other half_ , was gone. She was alone, but despite it, she didn't _feel_ alone. Unsettled, Karin looked around for the first time since opening her eyes.

Karin was in what she could only describe as a shack. The walls were shabby and appeared to be slightly rotten. The ceiling and roof were one and made of hay. The most shocking thing, however, was the rows of bodies spread out around. Not a single body moved. Not one breathed. Freaked out by the corpse-like bodies, Karin rose to her feet and scrambled out the door. The moment she she stepped out of the threshold, she was enveloped in a gray cloud. The smoky tendrils reached out and restrained her wrists.

"Let go of me!" Karin demanded as she struggled. She flailed her arms and shook her torso, but she couldn't get free. The smoke tightened around her left wrist before quickly retreating. With the smoke completely gone, Karin took a moment to catch her breath. She glanced down at the back of her left hand. There she saw fading black ink spell out _Ginkyo_ and _3._

In a seamless transition, Karin found herself being jostled by seemingly nothing, but with one blink, she was suddenly in the middle of an empty street. The sky was dark and speckled with stars. In the distance she could see light from lanterns and hear people bustle about. As she walked to the brighter part of town, she could see several signs with _Ginkyo_ or _District 3_ written on them.

"So that smoke was telling me where I was going, huh?" she said to herself. "You could have done it in a nicer way!"

After walking for a short while, Karin began to see people. A lot of people. Drunk men stumbled around singing and groups of girls walked from store to store. The further she walked into the town, the more Shinigami she saw. She remembered seeing Zennosuke Kurumadani throughout Karakura Town and the black shihakusho was quite memorable. She passed by a food stand and her nose was assaulted with the scent of ramen. The last time Karin recalled eating a meal and genuinely enjoying it was before she was diagnosed with that damned cancer. Thinking of her death brought back memories of her family which only led to a pain the engulfed her heart. Her final memories with them were filled with tears and it killed (no pun intended) her.

As she stood there beating herself up over how she died, she caught another whiff of the ramen and her stomach released a ground-shaking growl. Her hands slapped over her stomach and her face flushed red. Laughter erupted from a man who was halfway through the noren when he heard the noise.

"Shut up!" Karin demanded as her face grew even redder.

The man laughed even louder at her indignation. "How long have you not eaten?" he asked after he calmed down.

Karin eyed the man. He was tall, much taller than herself, but his loose kimono swallowed his form. Red hair, bordering on being obnoxious, was braided down his back and a white cloth was tied around his forehead. He didn't give her bad vibes and he seemed like an okay man, so she continued the conversation. "I haven't eaten since before I died."

The smile fell from his face and was replaced with shock. "Before you died?"

"Yeah, I literally just got here," she explained showing off the writing on the back of her hand.

The man grabbed her hand to peer closer at the writing. "And you're that hungry?"

"Well, like I said, I haven't eaten since before I died."

With Karin's hand still in his grip, the man led her through the noren. "Come on, I'll buy."

Through the noren was a simple bar with six stools and a few tables scattered about. The man took a seat at the bar and gestured for Karin to the seat beside him. She looked him up and down once more before sitting. They both ordered a miso ramen and fell into silence as the woman behind the bar retreated into the kitchen to make their food.

Karin stared at the shelf of beverages and listened to sound of chatter. She did her best to ignore the wonderful scent wafting out from the kitchen, but her hunger was too strong. Her stomach growled again almost louder than the first time. She could hear the man chuckle once more before her glare shut him up.

"I'm Renji Abarai."

"What?" Karin said, confused.

"Just thought you should know the name of the man who saved your life," Renji snickered.

Just as Karin turned to face the red head, the woman returned with two bowls of ramen. Renji muttered a word of thanks and promptly began slurping the noodles up. With a frustrated huff, Karin, too, gave thanks and dug in.

To her displeasure, the ramen was gone in a record amount of time, but when Renji offered to buy her another bowl, she denied.

"Why?" he asked with what Karin would assume to be a raised eyebrow.

"Because I'm busy."

"With what? You just got here!" Renji countered.

"That's exactly why I'm busy. I have no place to live, let alone a place to stay for the night. I have no money, so I need to find a job. I died from Stage IV bone cancer the first time and I'll be damned if I die by starvation the second time. So if you'll excuse me, I have one hell of a night ahead of me." Karin explained as she hopped down from the stool. She made to the end of the street by the time Renji caught up to her.

"I can help you, you know," he offered.

Karin turned on her heels and faced Renji as the man slowed to a stop. "I'm not an ungrateful bitch. Thanks for the food, really, but leave me alone now." She resumed walking while she scanned the buildings for places to stay the night.

"How are you going to pay for a room?"

Renji's challenge made Karin falter. She hadn't really thought of that, but hopefully the souls of _Ginkyo_ were kind enough to allow her to pay later. She ignored his words.

"Hey! Listen!" Renji wrapped a hand around Karin's wrist as he pulled her to a stop. "These souls aren't trusting. No pay, no stay. Let me at least pay for one week's rent."

Karin yanked her wrist out of Renji's grip and pushed her ponytail over her shoulder. "Why are you so insistent on helping me?" she questioned.

"I may not look it, but I'm a powerful guy. And because I'm a powerful guy, I can tell that you have the potential to be powerful. Souls don't get hungry unless they possess reiryoku. Souls don't remember what killed them nor do they remember their lives from before passing. Become a Shinigami, then food, housing, and money won't be a problem," he explained.

Renji sifted through his kimono for a moment before presenting Karin with a small pouch of money. Hesitantly, she took it and secured it in her own yukata. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I'm asking for."

"You're a strange man, Renji," Karin teased. "but thanks."

"I know enough to know that you're a decent soul. Your reiastu feels similar to an old friend's. He was an asshole, but he was a great guy. If you're serious about being a Shinigami, the Academy is holding the entrance exam in a couple of weeks. If you'd like I can take you to _Junrinan_?"

The offer was tempting, but Karin was never one for taking the easy way out. If she chose to be a Shinigami, then she would make the whole journey herself.

"No thanks," Karin said. "I'll be fine on my own now."

"But-"

"You can look forward to seeing Karin Kurosaki as a Shinigami! See ya later, Renji!" Karin proclaimed as she walked away.

Renji broke out into a cackle and she could have sworn that he said something more, but she was too far away to clearly hear the words he spoke. She may be dead and alone, but, hey, at least now she was dead and alone with a purpose.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I'm back with a new chapter much faster! Since summer is here, hopefully, I'll be able to write a lot more than I have been. Thank you to every single one of you who reads this and double thanks to those who favorite/follow/review because it really warms my heart! Please enjoy this new chapter!

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Karin sat back on her haunches, arms wrapping around her knees. "Sitting with you?"

"I'm not stupid, lady, what are you doing?"

"Sitting with you." Karin replied snuggling further into herself. The night air was refreshing against her body. The little boy she sat beside sniffled harshly before flopping onto his side. Karin took a closer look at him. They both had the same shade of black hair and strong eyebrows. The boy's features were sunken in and had no place on his face. Her heart clenched as he broke out into a fitful cough.

"Stop staring at me!" he demanded, turning his back to her.

Off to her left, the doors to the bar slammed open and a heavy man stumbled out. He slurred through a few lines of a song before his friend came out and stabilized him. As the man walked away, he belched on his friend and laughed as his friend tried not to vomit. Karin casted a quick glance at the boy. "Why are you staying here? Aren't you scared?"

The boy sat up again, resting his back against the wall of the bar. "Of course I'm scared. You'd have to be stupid to not be, but the guy who owns the bar gives me leftover food if he's had a good day."

Karin's face lit up at the mention of food. She had a little bit of money left over from Renji's gift, but she had been saving it and hadn't had any food in a few days. The boy sensed the shift in her demeanor and immediately became defensive. "Back off! Don't you have something else to do?"

For a split second, the Academy Entrance Exam came to her mind, but Karin dismissed the thought. She could live without being a Shinigami, it wouldn't be the end of the world. The boy in front of her would surely meet his end if she left him. Despite her short time in Rukongai, Karin knew the souls were ruthless. She couldn't shake the feeling that the only relief for starving souls, the ones who didn't pursue Shinigami status, was a second death.

"I do have something to do," Karin spoke after a moment. The boy settled back down, glaring at the older girl.

"You're not leaving."

"You're right."

"Why?"

"Because you don't want me to." Karin's response visibly affected the small boy. His dark eyes widened before his face scrunched up and he curled in on himself. Karin twisted her body, now fully seated on the dirt, to directly face the boy. She put both hands on his face and manually moved his gaze to her. "What's your name? I'm Karin."

The boy's eyes squinted slightly. His voice barely above a whisper. "I don't have one."

Karin watched as the boy shifted his eyes away since her hands held his head still. "Jun."

"What?"

"From this moment on, you are my bother. Jun Kurosaki. From now on I'll take care of you. I'll give you food, I'll give you clothes. If you want, I'll even kiss your boo-boos all better." Karin declared with a smile.

The boy, Jun, couldn't help the tears that fell from his eyes and the sobs that shook his body. Karin let the boy cry as she pulled him into a hug. Life was like a soccer game – she couldn't win as a one-woman team, she needed teammates to support her. She needed little Jun just as much as he needed her.

0oo0oo0

Time flowed incredibly different in the afterlife, Karin learned. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months which quickly turned into years then decades. Twenty-three years she had been dead. Not much changed. Her previously chubby cheeks had thinned a tad, but Karin still very much looked like the teenager she had died as. Twenty-three years passed and she was still a citizen of the First District of West Rukongai, Junrinan. Nights were spent working at the busiest bar which was frequented by uncultured nobles and stressed Shinigami and days were spent between resting and cleaning the little room she and Jun had rented. Breaks were far and few in between, but Karin was as content as she could be.

Over the course of two decades, Karin had forgotten about Renji and their encounter. Despite the numerous Shinigami she had served at the bar, not a single customer had obnoxious red hair. The busier her life got, the faster he slipped from her mind. Keeping herself and Jun alive was her first priority and she could do that now with ease. Jun had gained enough weight so that his cheeks were adorably plump and his bony fingers changed into chubby child fingers. Now that he was a healthy weight, Karin could easily tell that the boy looked to be no older than a ten-year-old human.

Karin was pulled from her mind's confines when the door to the bar opened and sent a blast of freezing, winter air her way. The wind ruffled her long hair and numbed the tip of her nose.

"Akiyama, I'm back!" a tall man with wavy, brown hair sang. His pink, flowered kimono slipped off his shoulders and he clumsily pulled it back up.

The tall man stumbled around, eyes scanning the bar for Isamu Akiyama, the overly-kind, old man who owned the bar. She noticed a large gathering of Academy students following behind the man. As he tripped over the leg of a table, Karin couldn't help but wonder who thought it was a good idea to let the man back in a bar. She returned to collecting the used dishes from the table that was recently abandoned by a group of rich patrons. She scraped the leftovers onto a single plate before placing it on the tray. Karin watched as the tall Shinigami clapped his hands as Akiyama appeared from the kitchen. His boisterous laugh echoed throughout the room.

"Karin-chan!" A customer from the corner cried out. "Can we get another serving of meat?"

The customer, a young minor noble who came to celebrate his birthday with a group of friends, almost fell out of his chair. Karin swept by with the tray of dirty dishes held against her hip and reached out a hand to straighten the man. "This will be your last, Susumu-san!" Karin laughed. "The night's just started and I don't think we'll have enough for the other customers. Come back tomorrow if you want more."

Susumu could only giggle a response back. He was a long time customer and such a gentle soul that he didn't mind the fact that he was essentially just kicked out. Karin shuffled back to the kitchen and almost ran over her boss. Isamu reached out a hand and wrapped it around her elbow.

"See that man over there?" Isamu gestured to the man in the pink kimono through the kitchen doors. "That's Captain Shunsui Kyoraku of the 8th Division. I want you to be the nicest you can be and give him everything that his table wants."

Karin nodded at the orders, a little surprised at the nervousness in Isamu's voice. They dealt with important people on a daily basis, so she was confused at the sudden formalities her boss was asking for. Putting a smile on her face and sliding out of his grip, Karin passed the dishes to the dishwasher. "Don't worry, boss. I've got this."

A shaky smile spread across the thin man's face as he slipped further into the kitchen to finish cooking orders. Karin grabbed another plate and filled it with the meat that Susumu asked for. Moving as swiftly and carefully, Karin dropped the food off and headed over to the extremely large group. She was greeted with loud shouts and cheerful laughs. "How are you guys doing? My name is Karin and I'll be helping you out tonight. What can I get you started with?"

The group started naming off various alcohols and Karin could hear a couple shouts of water. Everyone silenced, however, when the man in the pink kimono raised his hand. "Bring us the strongest sake you've got, sweetheart."

Just as Karin was about to start playful banter with the man by asking if he really needed anymore alcohol, a loud sound of pure rage rang throughout the bar. She swallowed her voice and turned her head towards the side of the building situated against the road just in time to see something fly through the window and shatter a table. Bar fights weren't uncommon and many people didn't seem that bothered, including the Shinigami she was currently supposed to be helping, but when the dust settled and Karin registered the something as a someone, more specifically, as Jun, she saw red.

The group of Academy students and the Shinigami captain fell to the back of her mind as she rushed over to Jun. She dropped to her knees and lifted him into her lap. The little boy's hair was soaked with blood, his left eye was swollen shut, and his leg was abnormally bent at the knee. "Jun! What happened?" She cried out but she was met with silence. He was unconscious. Karin shifted the boy to lie on the ground. She was numbly aware of the stares she received, but her attention was on the metal leg of the table. Without hesitation, Karin kicked the leg to detach it from the broken table. She picked it up and marched outside.

The darkness of the night was a stark contrast from the light of the bar, but that didn't stop Karin from spotting the person who put her baby brother through a window. Right outside the bar, a man had cornered a couple of kids. Karin had instantly recognized the kids as Jun's friends. They were orphans and they took to Karin like a duck to water. The older girl often found herself sewing patches in their clothes and trimming their hair – they were her family just as much as Jun. A couple of bar goers stepped out of the building, eager to see their favorite waitress break some bones.

Karin stayed rooted to her spot as the man (she was utterly disgusted to see that he wasn't even drunk) raised his foot and trapped the girl against the frozen ground. Something inside of Karin snapped. It was as if all caution was gone and any reasoning was nonexistent. Not wasting a single moment in fear that the girl would get seriously injured, Karin dashed over, raised the metal leg over her head and struck the man across his back. The hit wasn't hard enough to throw his balance, but it would leave quite the bruise.

"Leave them alone," Karin demanded not bothering to conceal her rage. She effectively shifted his attention away from the kids. When he removed his foot, Karin was quick to put herself in between the man and kids. The broken sobs of the kids wrecked her heart. She raised the table leg again and poked the man in the chest in order to push him back. "What do you think you're doing to these kids?"

The street was silent as Karin waited for the man to answer. When nothing happened, she ushered for the kids to run inside the bar. They scrambled to their feet and rushed across the street and into the waiting arms of Isamu (he really was too kind for a bar owner). Karin poked the table leg harder into the man's chest in a silent demand for an answer.

In a flash like movement, the man knocked the table leg out of Karin's hands, knee coming up to strike the petite woman in the stomach. "A bitch like you should know your place," was all he said. His hands tightened around her throat and she could see the edges of her vision start to blacken.

Panic settled in along with her rage. Karin's arms were too short to do any real damage and the man could easily snap her neck if she tried anything, but she'd be damned if she let him. Karin lifted her leg almost parallel to her body and brought it crashing down on the man's elbow. The impact left the man on his knees and she wasted no time in catching her breath. In a well placed kick, Karin knocked the man down to the ground. He placed his hands flat on the dirt in an attempt to get up, but Karin didn't let him. She brought her foot down hard onto the man's hand and she couldn't help the triumphant feeling that bloomed when she heard the crunch of his bones, but she didn't stop there. With her weight still firmly planted on his broken appendage, Karin used her other leg to kick him to the ground.

"A bastard like you deserves to rot in hell!" Karin spat in between breaths. Relief flooded through her system when multiple Academy students rushed over and apprehended the man. Before they dragged him away, Karin grabbed the hand she had broken and gave it a rough twist. His screams were pain filled and desperate, but she ignored it as she twisted harder. "I don't give a damn about your status. I don't know who you are, but I can find out. Just now, you might have killed a child. I promise you that if he's dead, _your life is mine and I won't kill you_." With a final twist, she walked away.

The crowd that formed outside of the bar whooped and whistled as Karin walked towards them. There was an occasional clap that sounded in her ears, but her mind was only focused on one thing. Every ounce of anger disappeared when Karin caught sight of the two kids still huddled against the elderly bar owner. In a silent plea, she asked the man to take care of them while she checked on Jun.

Karin was a feisty soul and she made sure everyone knew. No one got away with copping a feel while she was on the job and bless their soul if one of her loved ones was attacked. She was sweet and charming, but she wasn't afraid to break a few bodies either. The entire community loved her for it.

The bar was fairly empty, most of the people now outside. Karin rushed around trying to get to Jun. The small, chubby boy was still on the floor, but his breathing was unsteady. It was choppy and sounded chocked and she knew something was wrong. Jun's face was contorted in pain. Worry soaked through every cell of her body as she gripped the boy's face. Her chest tightened as she felt the fear of losing the boy who had been her family for so long.

"What do I do?" She muttered to herself. "Think, Karin! Dad was a doctor. You've seen him a work a million times!"

"Give him to me, I'll take it from here."

Karin looked up to see Captain Kyoraku holding his arms out with his pink kimono spread out over it. Her retort failed to voice because nothing told her that keeping Jun by her side would save his life. "Where are you taking him?" she said instead, voice scratchy with the effort to not lose it.

"My friend will take care of him. I'll send someone back here in a bit. Just be patient, sweetheart." Kyoraku informed with a wink.

Karin wanted to throttle the man for being playful when it felt like her everything was being ripped from her, but she refrained. Gently, she lifted the injured boy and placed him in his outstretched hairy arms. "I'm giving you an hour, if I'm not by his side in an hour, I will find him myself." She threatened, tears gone.

"Oh, sweetheart, as much as I would love to see that, I don't want to see this little chubster dead." With that he was gone.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Lol. Y'all, it's been one hecking year. One year since I've done anything with this whole account. Life happens, though, and it's okay, because I'm back now.

 _ **TRIGGER WARNING:**_

 _ **IF YOU IGNORE THIS, AND YOU ARE BOTHERED, THAT IS YOUR OWN FAULT. I WARNED YOU ALL.**_

 _ **Please read this before reading the chapter! I go into detail about a panic attack this time. I will try and let you guys know about any scenes that may trigger anybody. Hopefully there won't be many. Now, for this chapter, it may not be as intense, but I just want to be careful. I know everybody experiences things differently, and, to some, this may not induce anything, but, again, I want to be careful. I don't want anyone to relive something they don't want to.**_

 _ **PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE AUTHOR'S NOTES IN THE BEGINNING!**_

* * *

Karin was halfway through the distance between the bar and the gates to Seireitei when a nameless Shinigami found her. He said no words as he led her through the buildings straight to an open plaza that reeked of antiseptic. Karin bristled as the biting breeze carried the stench into her nose. The Shinigami noticed no movement coming from behind him and promptly turned around.

"Is something the matter?"

Black hair rippled down Karin's back as she shook her head. "It's nothing, let's go." She waited for the Shinigami to continue before following. He led her into the largest building she had seen so far. Despite it being so late at night (or early in the morning, really), the place was brimming with energy. She could feel the calm and steady hum of reiatsu in the air, but the sight of stark white walls and distant grunts of pain only managed to churn her stomach. Karin mindlessly followed after the Shinigami as her mind inevitably wander back to the days when she was bound to a bed, dying.

Karin rarely thought of her days alive when, now, she had been dead for longer than she had been alive, but the memories were still fresh in her mind. Her anxious gray eyes scanned the empty halls. The walls were bare and the air was cold – there was no stopping the shiver that went down her spine. Her gaze returned to the Shinigami who was now stopped in front of a door. In an instant he was gone. Karin internally hoped that the man wouldn't have left. Hoped that she wouldn't have to face the hospital bed alone, but he was gone.

A shaking hand reached out and attempted to slide the door open, but Karin failed to get a grip on the handle. She stumbled a few more times before she was able to open the door. No more than three steps into the room, and Karin froze. Her blood turned icy and her muscles turned to stone. The young boy anchored to the bed didn't send her into a panic. It was the tubes. It was the breathing mask. It was the stiff white bed.

The world around Karin turned to static. The steady hum of reiatsu now driving her insane. She could make out the sobs of Yuzu and Ichigo yelling. She could hear her dad speak words of comfort, but she was far from comforted. The feeling of the IV being stuck in her arm, the pressure of her own oxygen mask. It was too much. In the distance she could hear the machine flat lining before a gripping pain overtook her chest.

Just as quickly as the sensations came, they were gone. Just like before, her family was gone. Just like before, she was alone. She was no longer alive, but she was still living. The boy in the bed was still living. The boy in the bed. Karin snapped her attention to the young boy. He was still, but he was breathing. That was enough for now. Karin turned around and shut the door before promptly racing out of the building. Unfortunately for her, she hadn't been paying attention on her way in, so it took her quite a while to get out.

Outside, the light of the moon seemed brighter than ever. Its white rays scattered over the stone covered ground radiating a calming air. Karin took a deep breath and willed her heart to stop beating so fast. Her mind settled down as the oxygen rushed into her lungs. She carefully lowered herself down so that she was sitting on the frozen stone steps. Her panic may be disappearing, but her pain was not. Before she knew it, the tears that were pooled in her eyes started to cascade down her face. At this moment in time, there was nothing more she missed than the hugs from her bother, the laughter from her sister, and the comfort from her dad. It had been so long since she had thought about them that the longing for her family had built up. Decades of unreleased sorrow. There was nothing holding back her sobs.

Karin's voice was choked. She remained on the stairs and cried into her arms. Her whole body shook. The last time she had cried this hard was when her mother had died, but that had been when she was a small child. Crying wasn't beyond her, she just felt as if she never had a reason to cry. It would have only hurt those she cared about. Now, she had a reason and she wanted the reason to go away. Karin could vaguely make out the sound of someone walking, but she didn't care. She was hurting.

The footsteps stopped and Karin heard the plopping of someone sitting beside her. A hand gently began rubbing circles on her back. Eventually, Karin found herself breathing to the motion of the hand and her hysteria ebbed away. Her throat was achy and her eyes were dry. She kept her head down, but her cries had stopped.

"I couldn't find you. I waited and searched through three graduating classes. What happened?" A deep yet thin voiced asked.

Karin lifted her head at the somewhat familiar voice. Her eyes grew wide at the man she saw. "Renji!"

"So you remember me."

She was speechless as she straightened her posture. The years hadn't changed him much. His bright red hair was still braided down his neck. His body seemed even more solid than it had been when they first met and, even sitting, he was significantly taller than her. For the first time in a long time, Karin felt small. Not afraid, just small. And the feeling invoked the desire for a hug. She resisted the feeling. "A lot happened. I live in _Junrinan_ now. A ragtag group of kids follow me around. I don't think I can leave them."

Renji raised a sleek red eyebrow. "What? You run an orphanage now?"

"Kinda," Karin gave a dry chuckle.

"Well, there's not much I can say to that. As much I want to get you to join, I understand even more why you don't want to. It's been almost a century since I've lived in Rukongai, can't say I miss it, though. It was hell – but that's besides the point. Wanna tell me why you're having a sob fest outside the infirmary?" Renji inquired.

That one question sent all the air out of Karin's lungs. There were no hiding her emotions this time. She was too tired to struggle anymore, so she spoke the truth. Even after so long, Renji still exuded the kind of energy that she couldn't help but trust. "My little brother was attacked earlier. He was badly hurt and there was a captain there and he brought Jun here."

Renji didn't seemed satisfied with her answer so he tried again. "Okay, but that's in there, not out here. If your brother is hurt, what are you doing out here?"

Karin's next words got caught in her throat. She had been wanting to talk about this for years, but she couldn't find anything in her to actually do it. Weakly, she looked into Renji's eyes. He held only kindness and concern in his gaze. His sharp eyes were soft and she couldn't stop the tears from falling down her face when she blinked. "It's how I died."

The older man said nothing as he wrapped an arm around Karin's shoulders and brought her to his chest. His body was infinitely warmer than her exhausted cold one. The action spurred her to keep going. She pulled away, but kept her hands wrapped around his forearms. She needed to hold something, to know that she was okay. "I was eighteen when I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I was told I had four months left to life. I never made it passed two," Her words were shaky and her voice was forced. Not once did her gaze leave Renji's. She _needed_ to say this so she continued. "I died twenty-three years ago. When I was alive, I never realized how much my family meant to me, and then I died. After we met, I found a dying boy and he gave me a reason to go on, so I gave him one. But he's not my dad, or my brother, or my sister."

Karin was shocked by how easily the words fell out of her mouth. All the feeling she had pent up over the decades just exploded. She felt that she could talk forever, because she hadn't _spoken_ in years, but she wasn't about to bore Renji with her story. The petite girl pulled her gaze away from the man beside her. When she looked away, she realized how much she wasn't paying attention to him. She cast her sights back on him. His face expressed something she couldn't describe. It wasn't pity nor was it understanding. He wasn't judging her for her tears or her story. Karin looked away when he began to speak.

"I could be a douche and tell you that what you went through was nothing compared to me, but I'm not an asshole who likes to compare people's suffering, so I'm not," he said with a grin. "We all have our baggage, though. You did good, kid,"

Before Karin had a chance to process his words, Renji was well on his way. His tall figure disappearing into the night. Oddly, Karin felt better. Her weeping and ranting relieved a weight in her body that she hadn't realized was there. She felt light. She felt alive again. When she returned her attention to her surroundings, Renji was gone and she was left alone to bask in the light of the moon.

* * *

Jun made a quick recovery and he was out of the infirmary in no time. After a few talks with a medic, Karin was able to convince them that Jun would be able to make it in Rukongai. Once he was out of Critical Care (which was about a week), the medics gave Karin a kit and Jun received some crutches. The black-haired boy was all smiles as he limped back to Isamu's bar. As the sun was high in the sky when the pair arrived, the bar was closed. Quietly, the two slipped inside not surprised to see Isamu sweeping the floors.

The older man gasped "Ma boy! You're okay!"

"Of course I am, Jiisan!" Jun grinned. His voice was bright and cheery, but his face screamed exhaustion.

Karin sent the young boy to his room, but, of course, he didn't go without a fight. Jun complained that she nagged too much and never let him do anything. Karin let him gripe for a bit because she knew that he would eventually get irritated with her for not playing along and he would go fume for a bit (which was exactly what happened). The young woman pushed all of her hair behind her shoulders before facing Isamu. "We need to talk."

Isamu already knew what was coming as he already had a chair pulled out for her. Karin wasted no time in taking the seat. "What's on your mind, Karin-chan?"

"A lot," she sighed. "I think I'll be leaving soon. Like tomorrow soon."

"Wow, that is soon. What brought this on?"

"I met someone decades ago and he gave me an opportunity that I never took. I met him again the night Jun was taken to the hospital. He still remembers me. While I was in Seireitei, I heard the Shinigami talk about setting up for the Academy Entrance Exam at the end of the month. Testing for the Spring Rotation begins tomorrow and I'm going to do it." Karin spoke with a finality. Her mind was made up. This wasn't something she was going to give up.

"Don't worry about anything back here." Isamu encouraged. "I'll deal with the aftermath of those crying kiddos. When you go take that exam, I want you to give it your all. You don't deserve to spend the rest of your days in a dingy bar."

"Listen here, old man. You know that's not how I feel – "

"You crave adventure," Isamu interrupted. "I saw how quick you were to act on that night. I saw your energy. You shouldn't, no you can't stay here."

Karin cast her gaze to the table. She could no longer look at the man who took such great care of her and all the little kids she brought. He never complained. He seemed happy, something she wasn't. After her talk with Renji, the words she had spoken sunk in. Jun would never replace her family, but she tried to believe that he did. Karin loved the young boy with all her heart, and she would never leave him, even if she got lucky enough to find her family again. She let out a sigh and returned her attention to Isamu. "Registration starts in a few hours."

"Well, you better get to it! Just make sure that once you get into that big and fancy Seireitei, you won't forget about us. I know it's not much, but we all love you, Karin-chan, and this will always be your home." Isamu said.

With a nod of agreement, Karin stood up. "There's a chance that I won't get in. I could be a dud, you never know."

"You'll be fine." Isamu laughed..

The young woman laughed and turned to go tell Jun her new plans, but they boy was standing at the end of the hall with red eyes.

"You'll be back, though, right?" Jun whispered.

Karin walked over him and wrapped her arms around him. "I'll be back."

"Okay."

Later that day, when the sun was high overhead, Karin made her way to the nearest gate that led into Seireitei. She was dressed in her finest yukata. The thick cotton protected her body from the cold. She left her hair down. Her thick black locks trying to blend in with the navy blue of her yukata. She was prepared and determined to do something with this second life, so she had to show everyone her best.

Karin found the Registration Zone easily enough. The amount of souls wanting to make something of themselves was ridiculous. She found the shortest line and placed herself at the end of it. With a swift movement, she had gathered all of her hair over one of her shoulders. It was getting long now, and honestly it was a pain, but Ichigo had once told her that long hair suited her best, and ever since, she's hated the thought of chopping it all off.

Soon enough, Karin found herself at the front of the line where she stood in front of an angry looking woman. She had a stiff bun at the nape of her neck and it seemed as if her jaw was permanently clenched. "Name, please," the woman said.

Karin cleared her throat. Now was not the time for nerves. "Karin Kurosaki."

"Age?"

That question threw Karin for a loop. How old was she? She was eighteen when she died, but technically her soul was twenty-three. Maybe she should just add the two and say that she was forty-one years old.

"Kurosaki, you are holding up the line. How old are you?"

"Twenty-three!" Karin blurted in a panic. The severe woman didn't seem convinced but wrote it down anyways. She wrote a few more things, ripped off a piece of paper and handed it to Karin.

"That's your entry ticket. If you lose it, try again during the next rotation. The exam begins tomorrow at noon." she explained.

Karin nodded before taking the ticket and securely tucking it into her yukata. She was ready to pass this exam and start her journey as a Shinigami. With the rest of her day free, Karin headed back to the bar to catch up on some much needed rest. She had to kick ass tomorrow.

* * *

Night and morning had never passed so fast before. It felt like a matter of seconds. Before Karin knew it, her goodbyes were said and she was on her way. Now, she was dressed in one of her usual yukatas. A cotton dyed a deep, dull red with cream trim. It showed some wear and tear, but it was one of her favorites. She made her way over to the Registration Zone with the same confidence she wore out in a soccer field. The closer she got the more people she saw.

The Registration Zone was packed with potential students. Chatter filled the air and it was different from the buzz of the bar on a busy night. The voices she heard were coated with nervous energy and the occasional snicker of arrogance. Karin was aware of the fact that she wasn't the only one here who didn't know anyone, but she was not the type of person to initiate small talk, so to stay busy, she decided to put her hair into a french braid. When she was tying the braid off, a tall girl with striking blonde hair approached her.

"Did you come here alone?" she asked. He pale blue eyes held innocence and fear, but they were determined.

"Yeah, you?" Karin said with her hair tie clasped between her teeth. As usual, her hair was being stubborn.

"I'm alone. I came from District 62, with three others, but, uh, they went back before we even made it halfway. I couldn't go back, so I came alone."

With the braid finally tied off, Karin shifted her attention to the new girl. "What's your name? I'm Karin Kurosaki."

"I'm Hanami Nakahara! But you can call me Hana!" she introduced with a smile so bright it almost blinded Karin.

The two girls conversed for a while before numerous Shinigami came and led them into Seireitei. Karin had learned a lot about her new friend and she could honestly say, that the trust she had for Hana was already strong. Just like Renji, this girl exuded comfort. She was a bit snarky but a little shy, which made for wonderful monologues, and despite looking so gentle, she held a lot of power in her movements. To urge Karin along, Hana had gave the shorter girl's arm a jerk and almost ripped it out of the socket. Hana apologized profusely, but Karin just laughed it off.

Once all of the applicants were settled inside the gates of Seireitei, the Shinigami moved to the front of the crowd. He was old and small in stature. His body was dressed in a pure white shihakusho and a large orange haori draped over his shoulders. "Welcome! I see that many of you have already made friends. It is a shame that many of those friendships will not survive the day." A low mumble spread through the crowd, but the man kept speaking. "When you registered, you received a ticket. You have ten minutes to find the person with the matching ticket."

Nobody moved. The mass of students kept their feet firmly and anxiously planted on the ground. The old man said no more. Karin dug around in her yukata for the ticket she was given yesterday. Printed on the small slip of paper, in block print, was _3395361._ The black ink glared at her and she glared back. She was certain that at least two minutes had passed and nobody moved yet, so she did. It started in the balls of her feet and shot through her body like electricity. " _3395361_! Wherever you are, follow my voice!" She thrust her ticket into the air and waved it around.

It was almost as if a spell was broken. All of the other students started scrambling around and shouting their numbers. As Karin looked around for her mystery partner, she noticed that Hana had managed to disappear into the crowd and she silently wished her good luck. Karin turned her body to look in a different direction when a massive figure crashed into her. She felt her body fall to the ground, but before she could react, Karin was being tossed into the air. When she started her return to the ground, as gravity is apt to do, gigantic hands wrapped around her body and she found herself being held like an infant by a way-too-tall man with curly black hair.

" _3395361_?" his deep voice echoed in her ears. Karin could only muster a nod. " _3395361_!" A large, toothy smile spread across his face and Karin couldn't help but find his kind of adorable. He was pretty handsome. His features were proportional and gentle yet sharp. She could clearly see that his body was heavily muscled, but he wasn't grotesquely large. She was thankful that he hadn't crushed her yet.

"Nice to meet you, big guy, but put me down now." Karin laughed. When he placed her on the ground, she barely felt herself land. She really appreciated the gentleness. She vaguely noticed the other students around her because she was floored by the fact that, even when she was standing at full height, she could only look into what would be her partner's ribs. "Actually, pick me back up," she said tapping his arms. The man complied easily enough. "What's your name? I'm Karin Kurosaki."

"Kei Uematsu is my name!" he said still smiling. They were silent before a few seconds before Kei gave a little chuckle. "You're tiny. Like a baby!"

"Hey!" Karin cried in irritation, but she wasn't really upset. She knew on the smaller side and comparing her small stature to Kei must really make her seem like a baby, but he was the one who was unnaturally tall. "I could ruin you, buddy. Don't test me."

"You're so _cute_!" he whispered in awe, smile unwavering.

Their to-be banter was interrupted by the loud voices of the Shinigami. The elderly man stepped forward. "Who remains without a partner?"

Many students raised their hands, but Karin could clearly see the majority had found their matches.

"I am afraid you have not passed the first portion of the test. A key feature of being a Shinigami is being able to act fast in chaotic situations. I know the odds were not in your favor, but they rarely are. You have been eliminated."

From position in Kei's arms (He had positioned his arms to make somewhat of a seat for Karin and she couldn't complain about the view, or the comfort), Karin could see all the unpaired students and how their faces fell at the news. She watched as every single one of them walked out of Seireitei without raising a single complaint.

" _3395361_ ," The elder continued when the last failing student was out of sight. Karin focused in on the man in an instant. "Come forward."

Kei started moving before the man had finished speaking. People parted and made a clear path for Kei to walk through. When he stopped in front of the man, Karin gave a small pat to Kei's chest, and the tall man had somehow understood her and he set her down with the same care as before.

"You were the first to take action. Were you aware that I had not said go?" The man glared.

Karin felt her heart stop for a split moment, but the irritation she felt started it again. This old bag of bones had the audacity to call her out and she wasn't going to take it. "Time was ticking. You never said 'go', but you were watching. What were we supposed to do? Wait while you watch us fail?" she challenged.

The man's eyebrow twitch at her tone. "Present your case."

Karin was confused by his words. What case did she have to present? "I proceeded with the little instruction I was given. You gave us ten minutes to act, but didn't tell us when it started. Like you said, the odds are rarely in our favor, so I did what I did to put them in my favor. You didn't say not to move, so it's not like I broke your rules. You said to find our matching ticket, so that's what we did."

"If that is your case," the man said slowly. He gaze traveled over to look at Kei. He was no longer addressing Karin. "Hand me your ticket. You have been eliminated."

Kei's face fell. He hadn't said a single word, so why was he being targeted? Karin stepped in between Kei and the man. Karin had a choice: she could risk her passing for this man she knew for less than ten minutes or she could do nothing and let Kei get kicked out. She was used to being a leader and her instincts seemed to follow her into the afterlife. Kei was her partner and she'd be damned if she abandoned him. "Respectfully, Sir, you don't get to do that."

A look of shock settled on the man's wrinkled face. "Excuse me?"

Karin cursed Ichigo for instilling this behavior in her, but at the same time, she thanked him. "Every single one of us worked together to find each other. I called out for him, but he came to me. Kei fought his way through this massive crowd to find _me_. Everyone here fought against the odds you set. You don't get to fail any of them now."

The man gestured at the crowd. "Why do you protect them? You barely know him and you don't know them."

"Because we are the same," Karin proclaimed. "We're here for one reason and I know not a single person here wants that taken away from them. We took your test and we passed. What more do you want from us?"

The crowd was silent and so were the Shinigami. Karin waited for the old man to say something. She was getting increasingly nervous because she couldn't read his face. Her feet stayed frozen in place and the blood was pounding in her ears. She almost didn't register the clapping. The clapping. Who was clapping? Karin looked passed the old man to the Shinigami. All of them were clapping with smiles on their faces. Slowly, Karin looked back to the old man who had begun clapping as well.

"Congratulations, young lady, you pass!" the man said with a smile on his face. He turned to the whole crowd. "You all pass!"

Karin looked around in confusion as everyone cheered in glee. She passed? She passed! She faced Kei and held her hand up for a high-five, but he had other plans. Just like before he lifted her up so she was face to face with him. "Thank you, Karin-chan!" His eyes were shiny with unshed tears when he pulled her in for a hug.

"Hey, don't cry! You deserve this. You found me. _You_ passed. We all did." In the beginning she wasn't too certain, but Karin definitely kicked ass today.


End file.
